Virtually all pool and billiard players use conventional cue chalks to apply chalk to the tips of their cue sticks between shots. Storing or holding the block or cube of chalk between successive shots is very often annoying and inconvenient. Typically, the cube is left on the side of the table or elsewhere about the room. Because the players and the chalk are constantly moving about the table, the chalk may not be readily accessible for the next shot and the game may be delayed. The chalk may even be misplaced or lost. Storing the cube in one's pocket is impractical because the chalk tends to be fairly messy.
Additional problems are created by players sharing chalk cubes. A player may leave sweat or saliva on the cube, thereby rendering it useless for his partner or opponent. Accordingly, each player should have his own chalk and the chalk should be immediately accessible to him.
In an attempt to meet this need, various ring-type holders have been provided for cue chalk cubes. These holders have been designed typically to support the cube on one of the fingers of the player's guide hand during his shot. However, such holders are often awkward and clumsy to wear and may interfere with the movement of the cue stick. Pool and billiards are games requiring a high degree of "feel" and ring holders may disrupt that feel. Moreover, such holders are totally impractical for players who operate and chalk the cue stick with the same hand. For example, a right handed pool player will typically wear the ring holder on his left hand that rests on the table to support the cue during the shot. However, most right handed players tend to chalk the cue using their right hands. As a result, chalking is made awkward; either the ring must be switched to the opposite hand or chalking must be performed with the less natural hand.